This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
I am a special education teacher that has recently been reassigned to an autistic support classroom that is brand new! There are nine students grade levels 1-2 and there will be six new students joining the class that are in kindergarten. We are in need of supplies to develop a classroom that is developmentally appropriate for students with autism.
Each of my students loves to come to school and is always eager to learn.
They need some additional materials in their room that would make their space more functional for their needs. As a new teacher, I do not have a lot of the resources that I need to help them be as successful as they can be. My students thrive from bright and exciting materials to use and they have a lot of different sensory needs. With your support, I will be able to purchase materials to help improve their environment.
My Project
When developing a classroom to support autistic children, there are lots of things to keep in mind that traditional elementary classrooms do not utilize. The standard desk and chair options provided in a general education classroom are not enough. While I will be supporting kindergarten through 2nd grade students, many of my students are presently at a preschool developmental age. Therefore, they need more flexible seating options and manipulatives that will be mentally stimulating for them. For flexible seating options, I have chosen the Kids Kore wobble chairs, Flex space balance ball seats, and flex space wobble cushions. These options will help students focus more when sitting at their tables and allow us some flexible seating options while working during circle and small group times. For mentally stimulating manipulatives, I have chosen sensory balls, sensory slime, design and build engineering centers, and the Lakeshore manipulative library. These items will be used during our small group instruction time. While I work with students on a one-to-one basis, the rest of the class will have choices of these items that will keep them engaged and mentally stimulated. I have also chosen a set of puzzles to utilize in the classroom. Puzzles offer opportunities to help children develop problem-solving skills and provide visual stimulation. Oftentimes children with autism think in pictures rather than words, so puzzles offer them a creative outlet for grounding. Lastly, I have requested a ball inflator to utilize to inflate the wobble cushions and ball seats.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Bingham and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.